Cushion connection for vehicle construction



March 12, A. J. JANSSON 1,704,334

'cusnrou coumac rrou FOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 25, 1926 awuemtoz Patented Mar. 12,'1929.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

AZEL J. \TANSSON, OF HILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO INTERNATIONAL MOTOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

. CUSHION CONNECTION FOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed February 25, 1926. Serial No. 90,493.

In the usual motor vehicle construction the vehicle leaf spring is connected toand supports the chassis frame with provision for s ring elongation and this spring elongat1on is afforded by a link or shackle connection between one end of the spring and the frame. Ordinarily, the shackle includes a pin'passing through an eye formed on the end of the spring and seated in or connected with a link or links pivotally mounted on the frame. Such a shackle connection,- because of the metal to metal contact, is subject to great wear, requires constant lubrication to reduce the wear and minimize squeaks and rattling and transmits with undiminished intensity shocks and stresses impressed upon the road wheels. It has heretofore been proposed to avoid the objectionable features of wear and the necessity for lubrication and to cushion to some extent the shocks and stresses by the interposition between the pins of the shackle and the eyes on the sprin and frame of rubber bushings. It is desira 1e, however, in the interest of increased wear, resiliency and strength to retain the bushings under internal static pressure and this has not been accom-- plished to an appreciable degree by the previous proposals. The present invention has for its object a structure wherein yielding non-metallic material interposed betwee'nf 'the pins of the shackle and the eyes on the co-acting elements is maintained under the requisite degree of compression for the purpose in hand. The invention also seeks to cushionthe links with respect to the eyes and these objects are accomplished by the provision of collars of yielding non-metallic material on the bushings which surround the pins within the eyes whereby upon assembly the collars 40 are placed under a degree of compression which is transmitted throughout the entire bushing. The invention also has to do with the structure by which the foregoing objects are attained having in mirid practical manufacturing conditions. These and other obj ects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description of the accompanyingdrawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in which:

' Figure 1 is a view showing the spring shackle according to the present invention in side elevation and including fragmentary representations of the vehicle leaf spring and a side member of the chassis frame;

Figure 2 is a view .in transverse vertical section vtaken in the planes indicated by the broken line 2-2 in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the manner of cushioning the shackle pins by yielding non-metallic material retained under compression.

Figure 3 is a view showing, in section, one of the bushings of yielding non-metallic material prior to its insertion in the connection according to Figure 2. f

The spring shackle link according to the present invention is preferably composedof pressed metal since such composition considerably simplifies manufacturing operations and reduces costs. It is intended to connect the eye a of a vehicle leaf spring a with the chassis frame of a vehicle, the longitudinal side member of which is indicated at b. The

co-operatingv partsof the shackle link are made identical to the end that manufacture, assembly and distribution may be simplified.

Therefore, an eye similar in size to the spring eye a'is provided on frame member I) by the formation of an aperture 6' in the web of the channel and the provision of a flanged cylindrical supporting member '0 secured ,to the web of the channel, say by rivets a through 'gsuitableapertures b in the channel and apertiiresfc' in the flange 0 of the supporting element. The interior diameter of the cylindri- "cal portion of the supporting element is the same as the interior. diameter of the aperture b and the axial length of the passage as a whole formed by the cylindrical member and the aperture in the web is equal to the axial width of spring eye a. Extending between the two eyes are pressed metal links d d enlarged at their extremities as at d and given there a substantially circular form. The edges (1 .ofthe links are turned at right angles to the inner faces thereof in the interest of strength as shown clearly in Figure 2. Usually the shackle links are connected by pins passing-through the spring eye and rotatable with respect to the frame member. Accordmg to the present invention cylindrical spacing elements ,6 which may be formed, if desired, of ordinary cast iron pipe are utilized to connect and space the links and these tubes 6 are of a less diameter than the interior of the'eyes to permit the introduction therebetween of bushings of yielding non-metallic material f, 71' The cylindrical elements e, e are preferably seated at their extremities within bosses 03 formed in the links and the entire structure comprising a pair of links d and spacing and connecting elements 6 is maintained as a rigid whole through the instrumentality of bolts 9, g, whereof the heads 9 engage the outer surfaces of the bosses of one link (1 and the nuts 9 engage the outer surfaces of the bosses ofthe other link. The bolts are prevented from rotation by flats d formed in apertures d of one link co-acting with the squared shanks g of the bolts. Both of the apertures in each link may be so formed in order that the links may be interchangeable or one of the apertures in each of a pair of links may be provided with flats in which event by a reversal of the position of one of the bolts the effect is obtained and this ma be found practical in some situations.

As has been pointed out hereinbefore it is proposed to maintain the'bushings ofyielding non-metallic material under compression in order that their strength, resiliency and wearing qualities maybe increased. Prefer- .bolts g the seats so formed of the oversize structure ably the bushings are. to o ed of rubber. To facilitate assembling and the requisite degree of compression the bushings are formed in two parts as indicated in Figure 3 whereof the cylindrical body portion f is provided with a squared end 7 to abut against the proximate squared end of the adjacent bushin s and a rounded enlarged end f having formed adjacent thereto a flange f likewise terminating in a rounded enlarged corner f corresponding in position and shape to (although slightly smaller than) the protrusion f". In order to confine the yielding goon-metallic material most advantageously annular seats 71. are disposed within the respective eyes a and 0. These seats are formed with outwardly extending flanges h bent again as at k and again outwardly as at k to receive the flanges f of the bushings. When the links are drawn together by tile co-operate with the links to crowd the rubber inwardly taking advantage of the natural flow, of the rubber to maintain the entire bushings under internal-static Pressure.

Upon assembly the spacers e and the seats 7, f, are placed within the eyes. :ing non-metallic material is then between the spacers and the seats introduced and because the respective flanges ortion of the bushings are distorted The links are then applied to and through the instrumentality'of the bolts are drawn together to bear in order to obtain The yield-' upon and compress the yielding-mon-metallic material.

By the construction described a shackle connection for the end of the spring is pr0- vided wherein the requirement of lubrication is avoided the tendency to squeaks and rattles resulting from wear is obviated and the shocks and vibrations impressed upon the wheel are cushioned or absorbed and prevented from transmission to the vehicle body.

Various modifications may be made in the form, disposition and manner of fabricating the elements going to make up the device as a whole and no. limitation is intended by the foregoing description except as indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

1. In a cushion connection of the character described, the combination with a vehicle leaf spring formed with an eye and the chassis frame, of a link, pins connecting the link with the spring eye and frame, respectively, yielding non-metallic bushings formed with flanges at their extremities of reduced thickness intermediate their inner and outer pe-- ripheral edges interposed between the pins and the co-acting parts, and'means to compress said flanges whereby the reduced portion permits greater axial flow of the material in the bushing. I

2. In a cushion connection of the character described, the combination with a vehicle leaf spring formed with an; eye and the chassis frame carrying an eye, of opposed pressed metal links, apertured recesses in the links, cylindrical spacers between the links seated in the recesses and disposed within the respective eyes, yielding non-metallic bushings with flanges at their extremities disposed between the spacers and the eyes, respectively, and bolts to secure the spacers andlinks together.

3. In a cushion connection of the character described, the combination with a vehicle leaf spring formed with an eye and the chassis frame carrying. an .eye, of opposed pressed metal links, apertured recesses in the links, cylindrical spacers between the links, seated in the recesses and disposed within the respective eyes, two-part pressed metal seat members carried by the frame and formed with end portions of increased diameter, yielding non-metallic bushings formed with flanges at their extremities disposed between the spacers and the seat members, respectively, and bolts to secure the spacers and links together.

4. In a cushion connection of the character described, the combination with a channelbers disposed within the respective eyes andformed with portions of increased diameter the ends of the spacers, respectively, and

at the ends of the e es, cylindrical spacers, bearin 0n the flanged ends of the bushings yielding non-metallic bushings interposed and b0 ts to secure the links to the spacers. 10

etween the seats and the spacers and formed This specification signed this 19th day of 5 with flanges at their extremities disposed February A. D. 1926.

within the eyes, respectively, pressed meta] links formed with circular recesses to receive AXEL J. JANSSON. 

